CBB’S Jemma: “Jordan inspired my surgery addiction!”
The outspoken glamour girl opens up about her nip/tuck fixation, body dysmorphia and experiencing loneliness
When Jemma Lucy arrives for our exclusive naked W photo shoot just days before she enters the CBB house, she’s excitedly showing the team the latest tattoo in her extensive collection. And as she bares all, it’s hard to believe the glamour model is anything other than confident about her toned figure. But beneath her fiery personality and her unmissable inkings, she admits she’s plagued with insecurities.
The Ex On The Beach star, 29, tells Closer: “I probably look and come across more confident than I am, but I struggle every day with the way I look and I don’t have the body that I want at all. I hate my tummy because that’s where my weight goes, and I don’t like my skinny spaghetti arms. I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I want to transform my body and make it look even better.”
Jemma’s quest for perfection means she’s no stranger to surgery. She rose to fame after appearing on Signed by Katie Price in 2011 and the pair became friends until a fallout in 2012. Earlier this year, Jemma branded Jordan a “slag” after the mumof-five reportedly texted Stephen Bear to
‘I get a buzz from surgery – I want more’
warn him off the reality star. Since then the feud between the girls has worsened after Jemma was forced to deny that she had an affair with Jordan’s husband, Kieran Hayler, amid growing speculation. But despite their row, Jemma – who had a breast enlargement taking her from a DD to a G-cup when she was 21 – openly admits she wanted to follow in her former idol’s footsteps.
BIGGEST IMPLANTS
She explains: “When I began glamour modelling, I was massively inspired by Katie and the way she looked, so I went for the biggest implants I could have. When I do something, I want it to be the best it can be and I love the confidence my boobs give me.”
Along with lip fillers, Jemma also has regular Botox, but the asset she’s most proud of is her Brazilian butt lift. The star travelled to Turkey three months ago to have fat removed from her tummy, back and arms, and even her chin, to add extra curves into her bottom – an operation that left her unable to sit down for three weeks.
She adds: “No matter how many squats I did, I couldn’t make my bum as big as I wanted, so I told the surgeon to give me the biggest bottom possible for my frame. It’s pulled in my waist, made my tummy look flatter and given me an hourglass figure.”
But despite splashing £15,000 on surgery, Jemma is already planning a second operation on her derrière to make it even more pert.
She says: “When I came out of hospital I had a massive arse, but after a few weeks the swelling went down, and now I want it even bigger. I’ve got fat in places you wouldn’t believe, behind my knees and in my back, and I want to use it all to create a nice peachy shelf.”
BODY DYSMORPHIA
And worryingly size 8 Jemma admits her “addiction” to surgery has led her to develop body dysmorphia.
She says: “I get a buzz from the fact that you lie on a bed, fall asleep and wake up with the body you want. It’s so addictive; the moment I walked out of hospital after my bum lift, I was ready to go back in and have something else done. I love the adrenalin rush it gives me.”
She adds: “I know it’s not healthy to be caught up on the way you look and I do have body
‘My tattoos make me feel sexy – I love what I do’
dysmorphia. I get Tweets from trolls saying I need a nose job, which can hurt, but I try not to let it get to me. If I’m feeling down, I look at old pictures of myself to remind me that I look 10 times better now. I feel sick when I see what I used to look like, I looked fat and ugly and, although I still don’t have my dream body, I look better after having surgery.”
Jemma developed a violent reputation after her stint in Ex On The Beach saw her engage in physical fights with her co-stars. And after being judged for her behaviour and tattooed looks, bisexual Jemma – whose exes include former Geordie Shore stars Gary Beadle and Chantelle Connelly – says she’s keen to change people’s perception of her during CBB.
FEELING ALONE
She adds: “People think I’m aggressive and intimidating because of the way I look, but I’m not the fierce horrible bitch that I come across as on TV. I’ve got more issues than the average person.” In November Jemma said she’d been “disowned” by her mum and their relationship is still fractured. She says: “My family are old-fashioned and they associate tattoos with criminals or ‘common’ people and they just can’t accept it. My mum hates the way I look, that I haven’t been to uni and ended up modelling. I got kicked out of five schools, so studying wasn’t for me. She asks me when I’m going to stop, but the answer is never. My tattoos make me feel sexy, I love what I do and I make good money.” She adds: “I’m used to being on my own, but I do feel lonely when I see friends with their family. One of my mates told me she hadn’t seen her mum for a week and was missing her, and I thought, I’d love to know what that feels like. But I accept it may not happen.”
And while Jemma was once a regular on the party scene, she’s curbed her boozy nights out after they left her feeling low.
DITCHING BOOZE
The star, who claims she hasn’t touched alcohol since June, says: “I was losing work as I was going out so much. I don’t like the hangovers any more. You can’t get out of bed till 2pm and they leave you feeling depressed. I’ve replaced booze with the gym and now my whole mindset has changed. I can’t even think of one person who I used to party with who’s still in my life. I’ve learnt some lessons, and I’m much more calm and positive.”